A New Fire Truck for Cuba City

On this day in 1936, the Cuba City News-Herald reported that the new rural service fire truck had arrived in town and was "ready for action." The 1936 Ford pump truck is still owned by the Fire Department and used for special events and parades, like the 2016 Christmas Glow parade, pictured below.

The new truck was intended to respond to fires outside of the city limits. Rural property owners were asked to help purchase the vehicle and, in exchange, they could receive free fire protection for the life of the truck. As the article below notes, $2,500 in pledges was raised before the purchase.

Published in the Wisconsin State Journal (March 1, 1936).

The Cuba City News-Herald suggested that, after the new truck's arrival, the number of rural fire calls increased out of a desire to see the equipment in action.

Published in the Platteville Witness (May 6, 1936).